Huron County gets opioid settlement money

NORWALK — Huron County Commissioners so far have received $110,000 in opioid settlement funds. Commissioners are mulling over options for how to spend the money, they said this week. Money can be used for anything related to fighting the opioid epidemic, including treatment, education and prevention activities. "We want action," said commissioner Skip Wilde. "We don't want that money just sitting there." One option commissioners talked about is using the money to provide transportation services to people seeking recovery from opioid addiction. "How do we expect someone to get help if they can't get there," Commissioner Terry Boose asked. In 2021, Ohio reached an $808 million agreement with three of the largest distributors of opioids that puts the state at the front line to receive monetary relief for communities ravaged by the opioid addiction crisis, according to the attorney general's office. "We have $800 million coming to Ohio to fix this mess," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement when the settlement was announced. Under the settlement agreement, Ohio cities and counties were to begin receiving funds as early as November 2021 and the money is said to be guranteed — although the total amount coming to Huron County is not yet known. According to the settlement, 85 percent of the money is targeted for local distribution while 15 percent of the money goes to the state of Ohio, according to the attorney general's office. Locally, money is being sent to Huron County and also to the city of Norwalk, the city of Willard and the village of Monroeville. Local governments must use the funds consistent with approved abatement strategies. Those include "evidence based, foward-looking strategies, programming, and services" used to expand the availability of treatment, prevention, and education, among other things, according to Ohio documents. Huron County Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS) is setting up a meeting between organizations receiving opioid settlement funds — including Huron County, the city of Norwalk and the village of Monroeville — to talk about how the money will be spent. MHAS Exectutive Director Kristen Cardone could not be reached for comment. In other business: Huron County Commissioners held the last of three public hearings about planned rate hikes at the Huron County Landfill. Local businessman Todd Heitsche showed up to object to the proposed increases. "I just wonder when is going to be an end of the rate increases," Heitsche asked commissioners. "If you guys go up, I have to go up," he said. Boose responded that rates were only raised two years ago and 10 years ago. "We're not a profit center," Wilde said. "We're trying to break even." Commissioners learned their insurance premiums were going to go up from $216,634 in 2022 to $238,072 in 2023. The most significant increases are for property insurance, which is going up from $59,224 in 2022 to $76,614 in 2023, and for auto, which is going up from $42,862 in 2022 to $48,111 in 2023.